First Encounters
by StarGirlXxx
Summary: Ever wondered how Natsu got that scar on his neck? No, well I did, here's a possibility.
1. Chapter 1

**Ever wondered how Natsu got that scar on his neck? No, well here's a possibility.**

Natsu sighed, the thick velvety night buzzing with insect life all around him, the dense canopy of the trees blocking out the sky; the dappled moonlight dancing on the ground in time to the wind. He is alone. For all intense and purposes any way. The others, Gray, Lucy, Happy and Erza, are huddled round the faded embers of the camp fire, their soft snores barley reaching his ears. He leans back against the log he's leant against and runs a hand through his hair. The hot summer night is dense and stiflingly hot, especially out here in the forest. Reaching up he tugs the scarf from around his neck, he's not sure why he's even wearing it really, still some habits die hard, as they say. Gently he runs his fingers over the smooth warm material, he smiles, memories of days long gone rising in his mind; memories of Igneel, of his father, after all this scarf's all he's got left of him now. Oh, and this. Reaching up he rubs his hand over his neck, his fingers brushing the delicate raised skin of the scar his only other evidence that his father ever existed.

He can hear it. It's loud booming foot falls, its vicious growls and snarls. Terror runs through his body like fire, making him want to curl up and beg for mercy. But he can't. And even if he did it would just kill him any way. And so, even though his whole body is shaking, trembling like a leaf, he forces himself to stop. To turn. To face it. Slowly, calmly he reaches down and pulls a dagger from his hip, steadies his shaking hands, and waits. Before he even has time to react its here, its crimson scales shining in the dark, its eyes glinting. He freezes, why did he come here? What was he thinking? Why did he ever think he had a chance against a dragon? Still, he's come this far, he can't just give up. If I can just take it down, not kill it, it won't be able to teach me anything if I kill it. Take it down, that's all I have he has to do, then he'll become the best dragon slayer in the country! It can't be so hard, can it? Maybe if just aims at the dragons underbelly, the flesh there is soft and delicate maybe his knife would have some effect. Before he can even take more than a step forward the dragon speaks, its voice deep and gruff and ancient and utterly terrifying, like if the earth has a voice it would sound like this. "What are you doing here, child? Did you really think you would have a chance against someone like me? Foolish child, go home!" Which was possibly the worst thing you could ever say to Natsu, because instead of taking it as a warning and a chance to escape like most people he just took it as a challenge. "Shut up! You bastard, I'm gonna take you down and then I'm gonna become the most powerful dragon slayer this world has ever seen!" With that he charged towards the dragon brandishing his knife. The dragons laugh is a low rumble that seems to resonate through the very substance of the earth, it catches him off guard, and in that second he sees the glint of the dragon's talons slashing towards him. The blow sends him flying across the clearing, his neck stinging from where one of the dragons claws nicked him, he can feel the hot blood flowing down his shoulders and back. "A dragon slayer huh?" It steps closer to him, lowering it's head down to his level "looks like you've got a long way to go." Natsu grits his teeth anger pulsing through him "just kill me already!" He shouts, again the dragon laughs it occurs to Natsu that it doesn't sound threatening, hope begins to spark in his chest "oh I'm not going to kill you, child" Natsu raises his eyes a smile begging to form on his face "you're not?" "no, I'm not" there is silence, for a while before the dragon huffs out a breath and turns back to the small dishevelled child before him " my name in Igneel, the fire dragon, I am looking for, well, shall we say, an apprentice?" Natsu eye's him warily "so?" The dragon snorts "When I came here I told the people of the village that anyone who could defeat me would be taught the secrets of my magic….. I lied" "What!" Natsu yells anger boiling in his blood, every thing he just went through was for absolutely nothing! Nothing "you no good lying cheating son of a-" "it was a test, I wanted to see who had the strength and courage to be taught my secrets, and you, child, you just passed"

**Erm well I'm not entirely sure how obvious I made it where he got the scar from so out of paranoia I'll make it even more obvious here, the scar was from Igneels claws, when he knocks Natsu down.**

**StarGirlXxx**


	2. Replies to anon reviews

So, this has been up a while so I'm sure no one this applies to will actually see it but just on the offhand they do, I'm really glad people took the time to review I really appreciate it, however some reviews were given on a gust account, which is fair enough. However it means I can't reply to you in person, and so, since I like replying to people I'm gonna do it here.

Lucky charm- Yeah, I've seen it, although I hadn't when I wrote this, thanks for the review and I hope you liked the story

Ethan- Well… I did say constructive criticism was welcome... Which it is, although I'm not sure I entirely agree with what you're saying so I feel I should explain myself. You say Natsu was too young to know how to kill someone with a knife, and yes, you're right, that was sort of the point, Igneel was trying to test if he was brave (stupid?) enough to try and face him any way, he was seeing who had the guts to become a dragon slayer. "He was too young to know about dragon slayer magic" can't remember if I made this clear in the story or not so I'll say it here, it was supposed to be a legend where Natsu came from that there was a dragon in the forest and that if you could kill it you would gain it's powers, that's how Natsu knew about it, sorry if that wasn't clear. "Natsu doesn't remember anything from before Igneel found him" …. Doesn't he? Dose it actually SAY that anywhere? I mean sure you can presume but I'm fairly sure it never says that specifically. As for your last point about this going against everything you know about Natsu's early history… Well… You don't know ANYTHING about his early history so far it has told you nothing other than he was raised by Igneel you don't know how he came to be in that situation, or who his birth parents are, or where he came from. So I wouldn't say I'm exactly going against everything you know about it because there's nothing to go against, I'm speculating yes, and I'm well aware that this isn't how it happened it's just my take on what COULD have happened.

Thanks for reading

StarGirlXxx.


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